Parliamentary defense committee to discuss risks of National Guard staff visiting occupied territories

On September 24, 2026, the Parliamentary Committee on Defense will hold a closed-door session to examine the risks associated with visits by permanent National Guard (EF) personnel to the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus. The discussion was initiated by MPs Eugenios Champoullas and Christos Christou. Key officials scheduled to attend include Minister of Defense Vasilis Palmas, Chief of the National Guard Lieutenant General Emmanouil Theodorou, and Director of the Intelligence Service (KYP) Tasos Tzionis.

This meeting addresses long-standing security concerns regarding military personnel crossing into the occupied north. While current standing orders from the General Staff of the National Guard advise personnel to avoid such visits, historical precedents highlight persistent intelligence threats. In 2011, then-Chief of the National Guard Stylianos Nasis issued a confidential order warning that the Turkish intelligence agency (MIT) was actively monitoring and attempting to recruit military personnel and conscripts. Similar discussions regarding conscripts took place within the parliamentary committee as early as March 2024.

The committee intends to evaluate the adequacy of existing security measures and the potential for espionage or coercion. The session is the primary forum for determining if stricter protocols or further policy changes are required to mitigate the security risks posed to National Guard staff in the current geopolitical climate.